Title: Constraint evaluation in directed acyclic graphs.Abstract: Systems and processes are described below relating to evaluating a dependency graph to render three-dimensional (3D) graphics using constraints. Two virtual 3D objects are accessed in a virtual 3D space. A constraint relationship request is received, which identifies the first object as a parent and the second object as a child. The technique verifies whether the graphs of the objects are compatible for being constrained to one another. The first object is evaluated to determine its translation, rotation, and scale. The second object is similarly evaluated based on the translation, rotation, and scale of the first object. An image is rendered depicting at least a portion of the first virtual 3D object and at least a portion of the second virtual 3D object. ...

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/679,665 filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Aug. 3, 2012, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to the manipulation of virtual three-dimensional (3D) objects, and, in one particular example, to constraining virtual 3D objects to each other in virtual 3D space using directed acyclic graphs (DAGs).

2. Related Art

Scenes in animated media productions typically include multiple objects, such as characters or assets. To provide realism, the objects are manipulated to appear to interact with each other in a similar fashion as in the real world. For example, a scene may include a protagonist character moving or otherwise manipulating a prop asset, such as a sword. To achieve this effect, an animator user may manually move the handle of the sword frame-by-frame in virtual three-dimensional (3D) space along with the movement of the character's hand during production. After the images are rendered, the sword appears to move with the movement of the character's hand in the animation.

Media productions typically use graphs to render, animate, or otherwise describe a scene in an animation. Directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) may be used to represent characters and assets. Graphs can include a system of interconnected nodes that perform computations on input data, such as input attributes, and produce output data, such as output attributes. By varying the animation controls that feed into the inputs of an object, an animator user can control the motion, location, and other visual effects of the object.

As media productions create more realistic animations, the complexity and the number of nodes in the graphs used to support these animations also increase. For example, the graph describing a character may become larger and more complex as the character is enhanced to include visual elements and movements that are more realistic. To create a visually appealing animation, it is helpful to produce animated interactions among the complex characters and between characters and props in a realistic manner. Accordingly, an optimized technique for manipulating characters and assets using constraints is described.

SUMMARY

Processes for evaluating a dependency graph to render three-dimensional (3D) graphics using constraints are described. In one example, a first directed acyclic graph (DAG) representing a first virtual 3D object is accessed. A second DAG representing a second virtual 3D object is also accessed. A constraint relationship request is received. The constraint relationship request identifies the first DAG as a constraint parent and the second DAG as a constraint child. It is verified whether the first DAG is compatible for constraining to the second DAG. In response to the first DAG and second DAG being compatible for constraining, an output of the first DAG is connected to an input of the second DAG. The first DAG is evaluated to determine a first output value at the output of the first DAG. In response to determining that the first output value affects the evaluation of the second DAG, the second DAG is evaluated based on the first output value received at the input of the second DAG from the output of the first DAG. After determining that the evaluation of the first DAG and second DAG is complete, an image is rendered depicting at least a portion of the first virtual 3D object and at least a portion of the second virtual 3D object.

In a further example, evaluating the second DAG based on the first output value comprises evaluating the second DAG using a manipulation value based on at least one of the translation, rotation, or scale associated with the first DAG. In another example, the process also receives a further constraint relationship request. The further constraint relationship request identifying the second DAG as a constraint parent and the first DAG as a constraint child. Evaluating the second DAG produces a second output value. The second output value is produced at the output of the second DAG. In response to determining that the second output value affects the evaluation of the first DAG, the first DAG is evaluated based on the second output value received at an input of the first DAG from the output of the second DAG.

In another example, the second DAG is being evaluated based on the first output value comprises evaluating the second DAG using a manipulation value based on the translation, rotation, or scale associated with the first DAG. Similarly, evaluating the first DAG based on the second output value comprises evaluating the first DAG using a manipulation value based on at least one of the translation, rotation, or scale associated with the second DAG.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.

The present application can be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures, in which like parts may be referred to by like numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is presented to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the various embodiments. Descriptions of specific devices, techniques, and applications are provided only as examples. Various modifications to the examples described herein will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other examples and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present technology. Thus, the disclosed technology is not intended to be limited to the examples described herein and shown, but is to be accorded the scope consistent with the claims.

Various embodiments are described below relating to processes for using a constraint system to manipulate virtual three-dimensional (3D) objects in a virtual 3D space. For example, two 3D objects may be constrained to one another in virtual 3D space such that they move, rotate, and scale together. This may create the appearance that the two objects are virtually attached to one another.

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate exemplary depictions of a virtual character\'s hand 102 and a virtual tree branch prop asset 106. Each of the hand 102 and the prop 106 has its own manipulation space. Hand 102 is associated with parent space 104. An object manipulator acting on hand 102 manipulates hand 102 with respect to parent space 104. Thus, values fed into the manipulators of hand 102 are interpreted with respect to the parent space 104. Exemplary manipulations include translation, rotation, and scale.

Prop 106 is associated with child space 108. An object manipulator acting on prop 106 manipulates prop 106 with respect to child space 108. Thus, values fed into the manipulators of prop 106 are interpreted with respect to the child space 108. Exemplary manipulations include translation, rotation, and scale.

The manipulation spaces of hand 102 and prop 106 in FIG. 1A are identified as being a parent and a child manipulation space, respectively, for consistency with FIG. 1B. When prop 106 is not constrained to hand 102, there is no parent/child constraint relationship between prop 106 and hand 102. Instead, hand 102 and prop 106 may be manipulated independent of each other. When hand 102 and prop 106 are not constrained to one another, it is cumbersome for an animator user to make it appear as though prop 106 is being held by hand 102 over a duration of time or over multiple frames. Notably, the animator user may need to manually manipulate the translation, rotation, or scale of prop 106 as the translation, rotation, or scale of hand 102 changes. This provides the appearance that the hand 102 is holding the prop 106, but is cumbersome, inaccurate, and time-consuming.

Instead, an animator user may constrain prop 106 to hand 102. By identifying prop 106 as a child of the parent hand 102, prop 106 will be configured to automatically move with hand 102 as hand 102 is manipulated in 3D space. In the example of FIG. 1B, two significant changes have been made in relation to the objects as originally depicted in FIG. 1A. First, the translation of prop 106 has changed in 3D space to make prop 106 appear to be placed in hand 102. Second, prop 106 has been constrained to hand 102. This constraint has been configured such that hand 102 is the parent and prop 106 is the child.

By constraining prop 106 to hand 102, one or more of the translation, rotation, and scale characteristics of prop 106 will be based on the translation, rotation, and scale of hand 102. Accordingly, the manipulation space of prop 106 changes to manipulation space 110. Manipulation space 110 is dependent on the manipulation of the parent object to which it is constrained, hand 102 in this example.

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20140206|20140035908|constraint evaluation in directed acyclic graphs|Systems and processes are described below relating to evaluating a dependency graph to render three-dimensional (3D) graphics using constraints. Two virtual 3D objects are accessed in a virtual 3D space. A constraint relationship request is received, which identifies the first object as a parent and the second object as a |Dreamworks-Animation-Llc